The spectacle of the General Scales and his Chairman Marx Dowd parading themselves on the BBC, blustering and struggling for words, one to retain his fast disappearing £65000 little number, with his benefactor Merseytravel, and the other a pompous General facing a third transport failure. is to all and sundry a sharp reminder of the abuse of public funds. All for the self-aggrandisement of misplaced and misguided buses.

If this posturing was not bad enough, to find that a Labour M.P. and a member of the Transport select Committee was critical of the LPL City Council was less than satisfactory given, the Minister of State's instruction, "no public money for publicly funded tram schemes, private money yes!"

The BBC gives Scales the air at the drop of a hat. Does he use it to elucidate, to educate to clarify? No for him it was a last throw of the dice. The game is up after squandering £25m and still abusing taxpayer's money at £80000 per week ON FAILED TRANSPORT PROJECTS ALONE.

Oh dear what can the matter be?

So lets try and understand it shall we, don't say it "we've been here before".

In the cuckoo land of Merseytrouble there is a problem of failing to understand plain English, written by H.M. Government Department of Transport and The European Commission. Not only that, but the Directive too, from a Minister of State (Darling no less)

How you may ask is this and more to the point why does the Chairman of Merseytrouble fail to grasp the reality contained therein. No it is nothing to do with not understanding the Queens English it is all about being caught with the proverbial trousers at half - mast

Imagine: - MARX to the No-Marks "THE GAMES UP GUV. WE DID OUR BEST"

Leader of Knowsley Labour Group "Blame the Liverpool Council tell them we will lose millions! Tell them we will use the Echo! Tell them anything like Liverpool will be a laughing stock losing all those projects and things!"

Marx "we've done all that, this time they are on to us they realise there is no money and no planning for lines 1 and 2"

Leader of Labour Party. "Right that's it! Get those MPs involved, get them to tell them there is money"

So it goes on and on the last throws of the dice

Our Lab Leaders Echoing Voice in space "Call in the MPs tell them back us and we will back you!"

There is the little matter honesty, openness, transparency in fact all that is required to be a leader that is somehow missing in this last bugle call.

Could it be that there is No money and No planning for this last blast of Knowsley Socialism?

Lest we lose sight of the facts lets state them in order.

Line One to Kirkby

Merseytravel (M/T) has applied for the Act (TWA) to be granted to build a tram system in our fair city, to be given, planning permission for Line One to Kirkby. The government in its wisdom said it would if value for money could be shown and put £170m only towards the total cost now some £280M (£110m short)

Do we think that is clear? Unfortunately not in Marx speak! You will see why, hold on to your hard hats, things go bump in the night.

Line Two to Prescott

M/T applied for Line Two to be considered for an application for funding by the Department of Transport (DoT). The DoT said maybe!!! But it will have to be judged against other schemes like Hospitals Schools, things of value and needing Public money. Fair enough? We think so. Don't you too?

Line Three to the Airport

General Scales and Chairman Marx now put out a statement (Public Enquiry Evidence) that the Tram Schemes are not Transport Systems, because Bus Companies are providing adequate services and will be known as, wait for it!! Regeneration Schemes.

Oh dear "WHEN IS A TRAM NOT A TRAM", we hear you say - what does this mean? Well any way the DoT will not agree to fund line three "Transport" or not, whatever the terrible twins want to call it

So: - Line One waiting for Inspectors decision and allocated £170m out of £280m

Line two; no permission to build, no money allocated

Line three; no permission to build, no money allocated

Here we go out into the wonderful world of fantasia into the empty (mt) thinking department.

The General now says M/T have got permission for lines 1and 2 together (and even more remotely line 3); tell that to the Construction Cos. that M/T want lines 1 and 2 to be built together and to be bid priced together.

Do we believe that they too cannot hear a Minister of the Crown say very loudly "There is no public money?"

Did you understand that? We did not! How they can be put together when the Government has not given any thing like an OK for them to be seen together?

In the meantime Sec. of State Darling DoT, announces to Manchester and Leeds that "there is no money for Trams, if you want them, get the money from the private sector"

Now that is not hard to understand is it? Or so you would think.

Enter Liverpool City Council to get in on that black art of deliberate confusion, they say "We don't want lines 1and 2 together we want 1and 3 together. A line to the Airport before one to Prescott."

Got that? Not 1 and 2 together but 1 and 3. Are you still with us on this?

"We" says the Liverpool Council want "1 and 3 together" Oh dear it must be bed- time for the rag dolls.

This is just nonsense! All of it!

Quote Chairman Dowd - wait for it - "politicians make decisions the executive carry them out." BBC Roger Phillips.

We like you are gob smacked, since when we ask?

Wait a minute he's right. It is and was the Knowsley Labour Party as the major party of labour councillors who voted in our Chair Marx and the £65,000.

It was them who voted for the Guided Bus loss £12.5m.

The Smart Bus £15m loss

Then the Tram Project to-date loss £14m

The Allerton station was £5.5m is now £18.8m!! And still rising.

Just to be prudent they forced through the Tunnel Bill £4m, with the implicit help of the Liverpool MPs - to increase the tolls to meet all losses (didn't the toll just go up?)

Losses just on these few total £60m!!!!

And that is not counting the amount needed to add to the £170m only for line one currently £280m.

NEW TOTAL ABOUT £100MILLION

Today we hear that the Liverpool Labour MPs ARE BACKING KNOWSLEY COUNCILLORS. Blaming the Lib. Dems.--- for losing!

Kings Dock did not Everton F.C. Figure in that somehow? Sorry Gov. we don't have the money.

The Cloud did not the price go through the clouds and did not the public object. Sorry!! Sorry!! Merseytravel and Knowsley do not listen to their public do they?

We know that Intelligence baffles Tony, but surely Facts cannot baffle Labour M.Ps in Liverpool?

Or maybe the Labour Councillors have you by the Door Knockers!!!!

And the band played on. Next time we will look through the crooked window.

Say good night General